The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has partnered with edtech company DigiCampus on the Woza Matrics programme, a television and e-learning initiative aimed at supporting the matric learners of 2020.
This week, the Department of Basic Education introduced the Woza Matrics programme together with its partners, following the many months of lost learning due to school closures during the COVID-19 lockdown.
While all learners have lost school time, the department says this is most acutely felt by Grade 12 learners, whose marks are important for career and university choices.
SA has seen an explosion of online and TV-based educational programmes since government temporarily closed educational institutions earlier this year, in an attempt to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grade 12 and Year 4 learners (aged between eight and 10) returned to school on 3 August.
Woza Matrics is led by the DBE, assisted by educational organisation National Education Collaboration Trust, and developed in collaboration with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), MultiChoice and eMedia Investments, as well as a number of educational content providers, including DigiCampus, Mindset and Monyetla Trust.
The matric programme will officially launch on Tuesday, 1 September, and will provide all matrics with access to educational content for 12 weeks to support them in the build-up to their final examinations.
DigiCampus offers a comprehensive online video learning platform in multiple languages.
As part of the initiative, the edtech company will provide video learning content from its online video library of the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) that will be broadcast on SABC 3, all DStv packages and Openview (channel 122) from 8am to 10am and 1pm to 3pm for seven days during the campaign.
Learners who miss the television programme will be able to freely access the full video library online, which covers all grades and all subjects.
“It was an easy decision for us to become part of the initiative and make our resources available to the Woza Matrics programme, as it fits perfectly with our goal as a learning company. We aim to give access to quality education to all learners within SA’s education system through our online platform,” says Tsepang Setipa, CEO of DigiCampus.
Subjects that will be covered are maths, life sciences, geography, physical science, accounting, economics, math literacy, English first additional language, history and business studies.
While the online platform is accessible free of charge, the company says it is not yet data free, and it is hoping to zero-rate its Web site in the near future.
DigiCampus’s English video library for matrics consists of over 500 lessons. The library includes lessons of all subjects from Grade R to 12 on the CAPS curriculum in four of South Africa’s official languages – English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu.
“This initiative has come at the right time when we are working to get schooling back on track. Matric is always stressful, but 2020 has been filled with unusual stresses,” said DBE minister Angie Motshekga, during the launch on Tuesday.
“I want to congratulate all our grade 12 learners and their families for their perseverance and determination. There are a few months left before the end of the year and Woza Matrics will give learners the support they need to prepare for the final exams.”
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